1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to electronic messaging between devices. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for parental control of electronic messaging contacts for a child.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic messaging has become an increasingly attractive mechanism for users of computing devices to communicate with one another. Examples of electronic messaging include e-mail, instant messaging, and the like. Recently, instant messaging has experienced phenomenal growth. Instant messaging allows a user of a computing device to send a message over a network to another user that is also online at the same time. With instant messaging, a user inputs the names or identifications of other users with which he/she wishes to communication into a list. When any of those individuals logs-on to the network, the user is “instantly” notified of the presence of the other user on the network so that an interactive chat session may begin. During the interactive chat session, the instant messages are immediately routed to the user's computing devices and displayed on a pop-up window. In this way, two or more users may converse with one another in a simulated real-time manner through text messages. Examples of instant messaging systems include AOL's Instant Messenger (AIM), Microsoft Network Messenger Service (MSNMS), ICQ, and Yahoo! Messenger.
With the proliferation of instant messaging systems, computer-to-computer “chatting” has become the primary computer pursuit for many users. Nowhere is this pastime more pervasive than in the early to mid-adolescent user community. Unfortunately, with the ubiquity of this community's use comes problems. Instant messaging systems typically do not verify the identities of the users. As such, instant messaging systems have been used by persons of ill-repute to prey on other users, notably, minor child users. Presently, the only mechanism parents have for identifying the true identities of their child's instant messaging contacts (also referred to as “buddies”) is to ask their child. Children, however, can be misled as to the true identity of a buddy or may lie about such identity. Therefore, there exists a need in the art for parental control of electronic messaging contacts of a child.